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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter
AFTER experiencing a run of inconsistent results, Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya yesterday challenged his team to respond to their on-field challenges in a big way when they host Triangle in a Castle Lager Premiership football match at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The Glamour Boys, who are still smarting from the disappointing 0-1 defeat to Yadah, are concerned they could lose the plot in the championship race after falling four points adrift of leaders Chicken Inn.
The team’s coach Ndiraya said the loss to Yadah was down to wrong attitude from his charges and they have been working hard to address the handicap.
“Obviously we started this week a bit down because of the disappointing result that we got against Yadah. But as the week peaked up we started to see a change in attitude. “What we didn’t see in the last game in terms of commitment is what we were seeing during training this week. So we just hope that all the players will go into the game with that mentality because they showed a very positive attitude.
“We spoke at length about the defeat and the importance of us bouncing back to winning ways. But most importantly we spoke about the need to be consistent in terms of getting results,” said Ndiraya.
DeMbare have won only one game in their last five outings. Their only win came against ailing giants CAPS United in the last match before the mid-season break.
But they soon retreated into their shell on resumption as what looked a routine outing against Yadah turned out to be a nightmare for the giants when they lost to the modest church-owned side. Dynamos have conceded considerable ground in the championship race after falling into third place with 34 points, four behind Chicken Inn and three behind reigning champions FC Platinum.
“We haven’t been really consistent in our last five games and that has been really the subject of discussion. We really need to be consistent especially going into the final stretch of the season and I hope that we start to get the consistency that we demanded in the game that is coming,” said Ndiraya.
DeMbare, however, are not expecting an easy outing against Jairos Tapera’s side. Triangle have punched above their weight this season and are also in the championship mix, as they sit in fifth place with 29 points at this stage of the campaign.
“It’s not an easy match, we must admit. I think Jairos Tapera has done a good job in building a team that is very competitive both at home and away and we are fully aware of the pain that it can inflict on us if we get into that game with the attitude that we had in the game against Yadah.
“So it’s just a change of mentality in our team and everything will be okay,” said Ndiraya.
“When you are among the leading pack you want to respond in a very positive way but we also understand that this is a game of football. We are not playing alone, we face a strong team,” said Ndiraya.
DeMbare yesterday sent their players to attend a substance abuse workshop in Harare as part of equipping their players to withstand the challenges faced by many footballers. The Glamour Boys skipped their morning training session and dedicated the time to learning.
The workshop comes after ZIFA announced they resolved to work with the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee on Anti-doping programs for all local clubs and national teams.
Substance abuse is a problem with many local and international football players.
Online Reporter